Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

August 31

"After His Kind," Not Another Kind

"Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He commanded, and they were created." - Psalm 148:5

In Genesis 1:11-12 we read, "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good" (italics mine).

If evolution is true, then one specie would have to involve into another specie, and if that is true, then you would expect to find transitional forms of life. You hear talk about the "missing link." May I tell you, the whole chain is missing!

What do you believe about the origin of creation?

[Judy Harder]

SEPTEMBER 1

The Trial of Your Faith

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 1:7

James 1:13 says, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man."

Some people get confused between temptations and trials, and the difference between the two is this:

Trials are sent by God to cause us to stand.
Temptation to sin is sent by the devil to cause us to stumble.

One is meant for our maturity. The other is meant for our misery. James used this word interchangeably. While God does not cause both kinds, God allows both kinds, and He will use both to make us more like Jesus.

Are you in the furnace of affliction? Do you feel you're being tempted? Trust in God to see you through.

[Judy Harder]

September 2

Ready to Face Trials and Temptations

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Winston Churchill was speaking to the House of Commons one day when he gave this advice, "We must always be ready to meet at our average moment, the thing that any possible enemy could hurl against us at his selected moment."

Satan could hurl a deadly temptation at you at any given moment. The phone could ring with terrible news about a friend. A police officer could knock on your door to inform you of a tragedy in your family.

Trials can come with such a force that they blow you off course. Temptation can strike at your backside and almost give you whiplash!

It is not God's will that you have a vacancy of temptation or trials but that you have victory in temptation and trials.

Are you ready at this moment to meet what the devil may throw at you or what God may allow to come your way? Get ready by spending time in His precious word today.

[Judy Harder]

September 3

All Things Are Under His Feet

"For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him." - 1 Corinthians 15:27

God has given us kingdom authority. Jesus said, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19).

When problems get over your head, remember they are under His feet.

You need not be discouraged when troubles strike. It is the pathway your Savior has walked before you. It is the way of the cross, and He has won the victory!

·         Write down the hardest thing you have to deal with today.
·         Now, put that paper on the floor.
·         Look down on it.

Now you have a glimpse of God's vantage point over the problems in your life.

Remember ... "He hath put all things under His feet."
 

[Judy Harder]

September 5

Praising the Lord for Who He Is

"I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being." - Psalm 104:33

·         We have a God who is simply presented in all of creation; we should recognize Him.
·         We have a God who is sovereignly powerful; we should respect Him.
·         We have a God who is surely purposeful; we should reverence Him.
·         We have a God who is savingly personal; we should receive Him.

All of that is in Genesis 1:1 which says, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth."

We have an obligation to God. We are twice His. First, we are His because of creation, and secondly, we are His because of redemption. He made us and He bought us.

Have you ever had something very precious and lost it? Then gratefully, it was restored to you again? That's just an inkling of the treasure you are to God!

[Judy Harder]

September 6

Forever in His Heart

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you." - 1 Peter 5:6-7

When God brought us into this universe, He did not make us to abandon us. When God finished His first creation, He stepped back and said, "It is good." But then sin came into the world, and we broke fellowship with our Creator. Because of His great love and mercy toward us, God sent His only Son to bring us back to Himself. Now, when we are saved, we become a new creation, and God says, "It is good." When sin soiled your garments, God sent the righteous robes of His Son for you to wear.

Now, you are---

·         washed in His blood,
·         clean in His sight,
·         and forever in His heart.

Take a look in the mirror. Are you dressed in the robes of man or the King? Humble yourself under His mighty hand that He may lift you up.

[Judy Harder]

September 7

The Meaning of Everything

". . . all things were created by Him, and for Him." - Colossians 1:16

Do you want to know the meaning of everything? It is Jesus only. You may think that is an overstatement. We live in a great big universe, billions of light years in expanse. And the Bible tells us that "all things were created by Him, and for Him" (Colossians 1:16).

There is nothing made that was not made by the Lord Jesus. The answer to creation is Jesus only. People say, "the world needs saving." But what the world really needs is redemption. And where is redemption going to come from? Not from a creed, code, or cause, but Jesus only.

The entire universe, the plans of God, and the sweep of all the ages comes down to two words - Jesus only.

When was the last time you shared your faith? Maybe today you can begin a conversation with someone about the expanse of the universe. Who knows where that spark of truth will lead?

[Judy Harder]

September 8

The Impending Great Tribulation

"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." - Matthew 24:21

General Omar Bradley said this about our generation:

·         We know more about war than about peace.
·         We know more about killing than about living.
·         This is our 20th Century's claim to progress – knowledge of science outstrips capacity for control.
·         We have too many men of science, too few men of God.
·         The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience.
·         We are a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.

I think he said a mouthful. Jesus said there's coming a time like never before seen in history – the Great Tribulation – when all our progresses and advances will come down to one thing – Jesus Christ.

Where will you be on the day of Tribulation?

Where do you want to be?

[Judy Harder]

September 9

The Blessing Book

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." - Revelation 1:3

When I was in seminary, my wife Joyce told me, "You're going to flunk if you don't start hitting your school books."

Instead I was reading books on prophecy and told her, "I've got to find out what this is all about. They're not teaching it in school." And as I would study these things, I felt God building me.

There is a blessing to be found in a study of prophecy. It would be better for you not to know these things than to know them and to be idle about them.

There's nothing that fuels the flames of evangelism like a proper understanding of prophecy.

When was the last time you read the book of Revelation? Maybe you can start on it today!

[Judy Harder]

September 10

It's Getting Gloriously Dark!

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."  - Luke 21:28

I wonder what would happen if scientists began making a human being from the cell of another human being. We are living in strange days, are we not? But I want to tell you our hope is not to be found in science. There's no blessing in the book of science. Friend, the blessing is in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

When I see things like cloning come to pass they do not shake me. Sometimes they grieve me or sadden me, but they do not shake me because I know God's Word.  I know it is the fulfillment of prophecy, and I can say with all of the saints, "Praise God! It's getting gloriously dark."

Next time you read something in the paper that shadows the end times, use it as an open door to share the Second Coming of Jesus with someone.